My Lucky Strike
by Hiyokoi1864
Summary: Kushina is being messed with by the boys on the baseball team, and someone comes to help her. (Didn't know how to rate and what genre's to put. Sucky Summary. R&R) One- shot.


Every day, during practice or a game, she'd see him walking pass. At first, she didn't care, he was just another boy. But one day, after practice, she found him watching through the fences. He was one of the kids that go to one of the schools down the street from the baseball fields. Sometimes he'd be carrying a violin with him or just his school bag.

She's the only girl on the team, since girls are supposed to play softball and not baseball. They only let her on the team so she could help them during practices and be a backup for games. None of the boys like her. They always are making fun of her and bullying her about her hair and chubby face. And on rare times, they'd leave her alone and actually play the game.

But, this wasn't one of those times. It was after practice, and she was putting away her baseball glove and her bat when the boys came up to her.

"Tomato!" One of the boys called out, "It's all your fault we didn't have a good practice! You should be kicked off already!" She grudgingly accepted the nickname long ago, for she agrees with it. She has also thought about leaving the team, but doesn't want to give them the satisfaction.

"The reason you guys didn't have a good practice was because you all were too _busy_ messing with me than actually _practicing_, ya know!" She resorted back.

"Girls aren't allowed to play baseball! Go be a ballerina or something!" He walked up to her and pushed her, the backs of her knees hit the bench, causing her to sit down. "We don't need you. No one needs you." She glared hard at them as they formed a little circle around her.

"I'm not going anywhere! So put a sock in it!" She went to stand back up, but he pushed her back down. This time, hitting the back of her head on the fence behind the bench. She saw a flash of yellow from the corner of her eye, but thought nothing of it. Probably the sun..

"You're stupid! You don't just move into a town and think you can join something, you outsider." The other boys made sounds of agreement. Kushina stood up, and punched the boy. He tripped over his feet and fell backward. One boy got behind her and grabbed her hair and pulled her back down.

"You stupid outsider.." The boy got up off the ground and dusted himself off. He wiped the side of his mouth and walked up to her. Kushina's glare was still strong as he raised a fist and struck her across the cheek. The one behind her pulled her hair to where she was sitting back up.

"You're nothing!" He raised his fist again but didn't get to strike. A baseball collided into his cheek, sending him to the ground once again. The boy behind her holding her hair was yanked back and pushed forward over the bench, falling face first into the ground. Once her hair was released, Kushina began to fall forward from nothing holding her back anymore. She landed in the arms of a boy she's only seen on brief occasions from a distance.

"Are you okay?" His blue eyes were full of concern and worry as he looked at her.

"Yeah.." She nodded.

The boys started whispering and pointing to the blonde kid helping her to her feet. "You think that's him?" On whispered.

"There's no mistaking it.." The glanced at the two once again. The blonde boy frowned, narrowing his eyes at them as they stood up to leave.

"S-Sorry!" One of them whimpered as they scrambled out of the bench room.

Kushina grumbled as she rubbed her cheek. It was throbbing slightly and red no doubt. "This is gonna bruise.."

"I'll get you some ice."

She turned to protest, but he was already gone. He came back a few minutes later, ice pack in hand.

"Here." He handed her the pack. She took it and placed it on her cheek, wincing a little at the sudden coldness.

"Thank you.." She said. He nodded and took a seat next to her on the bench. "Why did you help me?"

"Because they were hurting you, and saying some nasty things." He said.

"But, you don't even know me.." She gave him a sad look.

He shrugged his shoulders, "So what? I can't help someone if they're being hurt?"

She shook her head, "That's not what I meant! I mean, why would you save an outsider?"

He sighed, "Don't say what they were telling you. You live here, so you're one of us." Her eyes widen slightly, "I would sometimes watch you practice and play. I don't know how long you've been putting up with those boys, but I admire you're strength." He smiled.

Kushina smiled too and looked away and started playing with her hair, not noticing the eyes that are watching.

"You have beautiful hair." She snapped her gaze back to him, "I've never seen it around here, so it stands out. But not in a bad way." Her eyes widen to where they could pop out of her head.

She suddenly stood, "W-Wait here! I'll be right back!" She ran out of the bench room and headed for the vending machines. Once there, she dug her hand in her pocket till she found what she needed. Placing the money into the machine, she poked in a few numbers and waited impatiently for the drink to come out.

"C'mon already, you stupid thing!" The juice bottle _thumped _into the pick-up slot. She grabbed it and ran back as fast as she could.

"Here.." She had her hands on her knees, handing him the juice. He took the offered drink from the panting girl and smiled.

"Thanks! I'm Minato, by the way." He said as he set the juice into his bag.

"Kushina." She breathed out.

"Well, I should be going. It's getting late." She watched him get up, "I hope to see you around, Kushina." He smiled.

"Same here, Minato." She blushed lightly as she waved goodbye to him.

After that, they ended up seeing a lot of each other. She quit the baseball team, and later found out they lost the entire season afterwards. She enrolled into a school closer to home and found out it's the same one Minato goes too.

"You quit the team and they lost the entire season?" Minato laughed as they walked pass the baseball fields together. Kushina nodded, "Why'd you quit? I thought you really liked playing..?"

She shrugged, "No reason, I guess." A small blush adored her cheeks.

She used to always get unlucky strikes from the boys and always get put down. But, Minato came and pulled her back up. And for the first time, she got lucky.


End file.
